FOCUS: Barney Frank looks back on his extraordinary public service career

Barney Frank can trace his interest in politics to one moment.

It was the early 1950s. Frank was 14, and he read a story about a boy his age who was murdered. The details are lost to time, but Frank remembers the victim was black and the sheriff was involved in the crime.

Frank, a progressive Democrat, finished a 16-term career in Congress on Jan. 3.

It was the early 1950s. Frank was 14, and he read a story about a boy his age who was murdered. The details are lost to time, but Frank remembers the victim was black and the sheriff was involved in the crime.

“I remember thinking, ‘America has things we need to work out,” he said in an interview in his Newton apartment last week.

A New Jersey native, Frank was the first congressman to voluntairily come out as being gay and later became the first sitting member of Congress to marry someone of the same gender, something he said he’s very proud of. In addition to financial regulation – he is co-author of the 2010 Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act -- he said he focused much of his career around fairness for the gay community, low-income people and people of color.

Fundraising the hardest

“I think his most important legacy is that he cared more than most people in public life about poor people,” said Phil Johnston, a two-term chairman of the state Democratic Party, “The theme that runs through his career is his concern for vulnerable people. For many years, he focused on low-income people and people of color and he later expanded it to include gay and lesbian citizens.”

His concern about whether the Tea Party Republicans will try to “punish low- and moderate-income people” in the debate over raising the $16.4 trillion debt ceiling in the next couple months is why Frank says he wants to return to Congress for another brief stint. He is openly advocating for Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint him as an interim U.S. senator if Sen. John Kerry is confirmed as Secretary of State.

His desire to extend his stay on Capitol Hill came during the debate over the fiscal cliff.

“For the short-term, I’m the best prepared,” he said. He said he’s not interested in running in the special election for the seat. Fundraising and campaigning has always been the hardest part of the job for him, he said.

Page 2 of 3 - Patrick has said his conversations with those he is considering to hold the interim appointment have been confidential. But Frank made his interest in the job public during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Jan. 4, has always been known as someone who speaks what’s on his mind.

The Democrat is also infamous for his notable quick wit and gruff manner. He told reporters after announcing his retirement that he wouldn’t have to “pretend to be nice to people [he] didn’t like anymore.”

His briskness is what Peg Hannigan, known as the “godmother of the Newton Democrats,” says is part of what makes him “our Barney.”

While the style of some legislators in Congress was to hold the hands of their colleagues, Democratic strategist Michael Goldman said Frank was more likely to “take people kicking and screaming toward the directions he wanted to go in.”

“There was an edge to him and that edge is unusual in Washington where everyone goes out of their way to hide their edges,” said Goldman, adding that Frank was also known for his intelligence.

Early career

Growing up, Frank knew he was a strong speaker and could think on his feet – traits that would benefit him as a lawmaker. Until the early 1970s Frank thought his sexuality and religion would make it impossible for him to ever get elected to higher office.

The lawmaker began his career in politics in 1967 as the executive assistant to Boston Mayor Kevin White. Four years later, he moved on to serve as an administrative assistant to Bay State Congressman Michael Harrington. He won his first political office in 1972 when he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he served for eight years.

Frank was elected to his first-term in Congress in 1980. He came out in 1987.

In 2010, he fought office his first serious political challenge in decades when he beat Republican Sean Bielat by an 11-point margin. The race attracted national attention and Bielat, who was endorsed by Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, out-fundraised Frank.

Bielat and his supporters including Tom Mountain, who is now the chairman of the Newton Republican City Committee, blamed Frank for the country’s economic crisis.

“He tried to blame George Bush and it just wasn’t true. He was the head of the House Banking Committee when it happened,” Mountain told the TAB.

Frank has said that he couldn’t have stopped the financial meltdown, but the stress he endured as banking chairman during the nation’s financial crisis wore him down.

Page 3 of 3 - Now that his time in elected office is over, Frank said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his husband Jim Ready, a photographer and small business owner. He plans to start teaching in the fall and holding speaking engagements.

“I consider myself lucky,” Frank said about his career. “It gave me the chance to do what I thought was important morally and was fun most of the time.”

Staff writer Chloe Gotsis can be reached at 781-433-8333 or at cgotsis@wickedlocal.com.